Christina Olague was appointed to the District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors at City Hall on Monday, January 9, 2011.

Christina Olague was appointed to the District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors at City Hall on Monday, January 9, 2011.

Photo: Susana Bates, Special To The Chronicle

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Mayor Ed Lee swears in Christina Olague to the District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors at City Hall on Monday, January 9, 2011.

Mayor Ed Lee swears in Christina Olague to the District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors at City Hall on Monday, January 9, 2011.

Photo: Susana Bates, Special To The Chronicle

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Mayor Ed Lee congratulates Christina Olague after swearing her in to the District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors at City Hall on Monday, January 9, 2011.

Mayor Ed Lee congratulates Christina Olague after swearing her in to the District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors at City Hall on Monday, January 9, 2011.

Photo: Susana Bates, Special To The Chronicle

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Christina Olague is surrounded by well wishers after being appointed to the District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors at City Hall on Monday, January 9, 2011.

Christina Olague is surrounded by well wishers after being appointed to the District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors at City Hall on Monday, January 9, 2011.

Photo: Susana Bates, Special To The Chronicle

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Christina Olague was appointed to the District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors at City Hall on Monday, January 9, 2011.

Christina Olague was appointed to the District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors at City Hall on Monday, January 9, 2011.

Photo: Susana Bates, Special To The Chronicle

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Mayor Ed Lee (center) talks with Shoebiz owner Mehran Esmaiti (left) as newly appointed District 5 Supervisor Christina Olague (right) talks with others in the store during a merchant walk on Haight Street on Monday, January 9, 2012 in San Francisco, Calif. less

Mayor Ed Lee (center) talks with Shoebiz owner Mehran Esmaiti (left) as newly appointed District 5 Supervisor Christina Olague (right) talks with others in the store during a merchant walk on Haight Street on ... more

Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle

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Georgia Vardakastanis (left), owner Haight Street Market congratulates newly appointed District 5 Supervisor Christina Olague (right) as Mayor Ed Lee (center) watches as they talk at Haight Street Market during a merchant walk on Haight Street on Monday, January 9, 2012 in San Francisco, Calif. less

Some business interests are furious, citing the fact that Olague voted against developments at Hunters Point, Parkmerced and Treasure Island. But progressives are wary of Olague because as president of the Planning Commission, she brokered a deal for the America's Cup and then jumped on the "Run, Ed, Run" bandwagon.

So downtown thinks Olague is way too lefty, and the gray ponytail crowd in Haight-Ashbury frets that, even though she was their candidate, she might pull the old switcheroo and back the mayor.

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I think they are both right.

There's only one way for Olague to play this.

"She's got to set the tone right away," said local political consultant Chris Lee. "She has to show she's her own person."

Do that, and Olague could be in a real position of power. Current Board of Supervisors PresidentDavid Chiu came in announced as a solid ally of progressive and former board President Aaron Peskin. But Chiu ventured out on his own, and although he incurred the wrath of Peskin, he also became a critical swing vote.

Chiu sounds eager to add Olague to that left-of-center bloc, which also includes Supervisors Jane Kim and Malia Cohen.

"I think she is someone who reflects progressive values," Chiu said of Olague, "but who is also willing to work with diverse groups - which we need on the board."

After the appointment, Lee stressed to The Chronicle's editorial board that "I have not appointed a robot," and anyone who knows Olague would agree.

Originally appointed to the Planning Commission in 2004 by then-board President Matt Gonzalez, she was reappointed by Peskin. At the time, there were whispers that Peskin was stacking the deck to get his way on development issues. But Olague broke with Peskin, loudly and angrily.

Backing Lee was definitely a political risk. At the time, the campaign was no sure thing, and conventional wisdom would have it that getting on the Lee bandwagon would not help in famously liberal District Five.

But anyone who is ready to put Olague in the Lee camp should have been at City Hall on Monday for the announcement. Affordable housing advocates cheered her on. The famously lefty newspaper the Bay Guardian recommended Olague - twice - and clearly thought it had a winner.

Lee knows that too. He's prepared for her to vote against him. But he hopes she will be on the same page for issues like job creation. When it comes to converting rental units to condos or putting ranked-choice voting on the ballot, Olague may be a wild card. Lee just hopes she doesn't champion some divisive legislation on her own.

"I told her, kidding, that I didn't want any surprises the first year," Lee said.

She will inevitably make both sides unhappy at some point, but oddly enough, that may be her best strategy.

"She lasted on the Planning Commission for how many years?" said Supervisor John Avalos. "She developed a lot of skills at working with all sides."

Certainly, Olague has been enough of an insider to navigate the inner workings. The tough part comes in November when voters decide whether to keep her as their representative. District Five is historically the place where progressives are born. (Then they move to the Mission for cheaper rents.)

Olague will have to identify the constituency that will get her re-elected and make her case to them. As she's aware, it's going to be a delicate balancing act.

As if to underscore it, there was a funny moment when she was sworn in. Lee asked her to raise her right hand, and at first she put up her left, then switched to the right. My guess is she'll be switching from left to right a lot in the next 10 months.